“If there was any more information I felt you needed to know at this time, I would tell you.” Blane said.
He was the king of deflection. I had to stifle back a smile.
Aiden shook his head, “Have you spoken to Alexander yet?”
“Lex? No. I want to keep him out of this.” Blane said.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me. Look, we’ll keep our ears to the ground. If we hear anything we’ll send Gabriel.” Aiden said, continuing his pacing back and fourth.
“Hey, why does the new angel have to be the messenger boy?” Gabriel interjected.
Everyone now staring at him, I smiled at his annoyance. Anytime someone could annoy Gabriel instead of the other way around, it was a plus in my book.
“We have all been there young pup.” Aiden said dismissing him. “We need to go, we have all been together in this location far to long. Until next time Blane.” Aiden said before disappearing.
Rylan stared at us, nodded and disappeared next.
Gabriel turned to us, “I guess that’s my cue. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from me soon enough, Captain.” He said sarcastically.
Stepping out from behind Blane, “It was good to see you again Gabriel.”
“How good sweetheart?” Winking at me.
“Gabriel.” Blane said in a warning tone. Both looking around suddenly. Knowing what that meant, my hands started shaking with the sudden adrenaline pumping through my body.
Blane pulling knives out of holsters under neath his jacket, Gabriel removed two from his belt.
“Gabriel get out of here now.”
“I’m staying.”
“This isn’t your fight.” Blane said backing me up into the corner, staying in front of me as a shield.
“I’m not leaving.” Turning in circles now.
“I fight alone.” Blane growled out.
“Not today. Can you tell how many are coming?” Gabriel asked in a calm voice
“No. A lot.” Blane said, his body pressed firmly against mine.
“Are you thinking the same thing?”
“Yeah, lets get Carma out of here.”
I was guessing that was angel talk for lets run because the girl is only going to get in the way.
“I got your back. Once you hit your bike, you’re on your own.” Gabriel said as Blane grabbed my hand and we ran out the door and up the steps. Blane shielding my front, Gabriel shielding my back. Really wishing at that moment I had worn more sensible foot ware. It’s weird what random things go through your mind when your pretty sure you might die. My footwear, Blane’s tight grip on my hand, not having any family to mourn my death, Gabriel pushing behind me, and once again my thoughts back around to Blane. Now that I had someone in my life that knew everything about my abilities and not having to hide from him, I am about to die.
Reaching the top of the stairs two demons were waiting right around the corner, Blane took one down, throwing his knife straight into his throat. Reaching up on his shoulder he pulled out a huge knife that was about half the size of a sword and took the head of the other demon. Never letting go of my hand he started running again. Behind me I could hear Gabriel fighting. Looking back there was two demons that were attacking him. “Blane, Gabriel.” Looking back again.
“He’s fine. He can handle them. Lets go.”
Suddenly stopping and scooping me up, he threw me over his shoulder and our speed got twice, maybe three times as fast. Now the only thing I could see was the floor as my vision bounced back and fourth with each movement. Just as I felt ourselves slowing, something came around my hands and tugged me forward, releasing me from Blane’s shoulder, and his grip. Screaming, I was quickly on the ground with a demon’s arm around my neck and what looked like a long talon to my throat.
Holding my breath, the smell was pungent and was making my stomach turn. Sulfur mixed in with the musty scent of the ware house. His scaly skin rough against mine, I couldn’t see his face. Trying to remain as calm as possible as the situation was escalating out of control.
“Blane. Had I known I would see you today I would have killed you first.”
This demon didn’t have slurred speech like the others I had come into contact with. I don’t know why, but that scared me more. Worried that maybe he was an upper level demon. Looking up at Blane now, for a split second I could see the concern on his face before he went back to his expressionless look.
“Excuse me if I don’t remember you. All you assholes look the same to me.”
Cursing under my breath, did he really have to antagonize the demon?
“I wouldn’t test me angel. While your at it, tell the other angel that he better move out to where I can see him, or she dies.”
Blane nodded and Gabriel appeared next to him flanked by another four demons. Suddenly my body relaxed and I no longer worried about dying. Instead I worried about Blane and Gabriel getting hurt. Hoping beyond hope that male demons had the same body parts as all other males. Gripping my fist with my other hand, I brought back my elbow with all the force I could muster. My eyes never leaving Blanes as I did so. Suddenly I was released and falling over, but not before the demon’s talon nicked my throat, making me dizzy instantly. The last thing I saw before the world went dark was Blane and Gabriel fighting the demons.
“Carma. Carma. Wake up.” Blane shouted in my face. Lifting my lids they felt heavy. Feeling dizzy and confused I fought to keep my eyes open. My limbs felt like they had weights pulling them down and I couldn’t move my arms or legs.
“Sh, it’s okay. Just stay with me. Gabriel is getting us a car.” Blane said, holding me close to his body.
Trying to speak, nothing came out. Trying again, this time I was able to croak out the only thing on my mind. “Am I dying?”
“No. No. You’re not dying. Don’t ever do that again. You hear me?”
I could feel a tear streaming down my cheek and I wondered if he was still telling me the truth or if this time he was lying.
“Thank you Blane.” I croaked out before the world started going dark again.
“No Carma. Stay awake. You’re not dying. Don’t you dare say goodbye.” My body was being lifted up. I was still coherent but I could no longer open my eyes. Listening, I could hear Blane talking to Gabriel.
“Thanks Gabriel. I’ll meet you back at the house with my bike.”
My body was now in a sitting position and I heard and engine rumble to life.
“Is she going to die?”
“She’s going to be alright. The demon didn’t get enough poison in to kill her. She will be incapacitated for a while.”
“I’ve never seen a female human fight back Blane. Either she’s the bravest human I have ever seen or just insane. Either way, if she lives I’ll be more than happy to take her off of your hands.”
“You’re pushing me angel.”
I could hear Gabriel’s laughter slowly drifting away and my body being shook like we were moving. Stuck in this confusing state was torture. Unable to fall asleep, unable to come fully awake.
“Carma, I don’t know if you can hear me but you will be alright. I promise. Just wake up soon angel girl.”
If I could have smiled, I would have. His nickname for me was no longer annoying as it was endearing. I no longer minded it, and it felt like I was different to him when he called me that. No longer was he saying it in a sarcastic tone but rather one of concern. I couldn’t be sure, but it felt like only minutes ticked by before I heard the engine to the car shut off and I was being carried again.
“Thanks for getting my bike home Gabriel.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be in touch.”
Listening to doors open and shut, I knew I was back in Blane’s bed when I could smell his scent on the sheets. The bed creaking with his weight, his arm went around me and I felt warmth beside me. Not feeling as panicked I knew he wouldn’t leave my side until I hopefully came out of whatever coma state I was in. Hours passed and my mind became less and less muddl
ed. Once in a while Blane would try to reason with me to wake up and if I could, I would. Happily. I just couldn’t fight past the fog no matter how hard I tried. My mind was now becoming exhausted. Trying so hard not to fall asleep, concentrating on his arm around me. If I were to die right now, at least I wouldn’t be alone. Who better to have with you than an angel?
Slipping in out of sleep, I could hear Blane’s voice coming through again.
“Carma, you have to wake up. It’s been too long now. It’s three in the morning angel girl. You’ve been out for fifteen hours now. You have to wake up. If you can hear me, try to focus on my voice. Follow it. Try to open your eyes. You’re a fighter. Wake up.”
I could feel him gently shake me, and I was trying. I wanted to tell him I was trying but I was so tired.
“Okay, I didn’t want to do this but it’s the only thing I can think of to help you wake up. This is going to really hurt.” I heard Blane say with concern in his voice.
Feeling his hands on my forehead, I was all of a sudden blasted with emotions. It felt like a tidal wave had hit me at hurricane force. The emotions of fear, concern, and hopelessness blasted into my body and enveloping me in pain. I wanted to crawl out of my own skin, to get away from the emotions. Suddenly, I was out of the fog and the confusion now completely gone, my eyes snapped open and I sat straight up sucking in my breath. Looking at Blane in fear he dropped his hands from my head and the emotions went away just as fast. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t catch my breath and I was now wheezing. His arms went around my shoulders holding me tightly.
“Bbbblane….I..I…”
“Sh…you’re hyperventilating. Just listen to my voice and breath with me.”
Listening to him and following his instructions, my breathing finally slowed and the drowsiness hit me again like a ton of bricks.
“I’m sorry I had to do that Carma.”
Looking at him, he really did look sorry. “What did you do?”
“I gave you the one thing I knew would bring you out of it. Emotions.”
“How? Who’s?”
“Mine.” Looking into his eyes I knew he was telling the truth.
“But, I thought.”
“I can let you feel what I’m feeling if I want you to. Any angel can. We just choose not to for our own sake as much as yours.”
“It was so powerful.” Choking with a sore throat. A water appearing right in front of me.
“Yeah, I hit you full strength. You had to wake up.”
My eyes starting to close again I leaned into him for support.
“Oh no you don’t. You have to stay awake for a while Carma.”
“I’m so tired Blane. Swaying back and fourth. Just need to sleep now.”
“No, you don’t. You can’t. You have to stay awake a couple of hours. Make sure all of the poison is out of your system. Do you want to fall back into that state?”
“No. Take me to the shower.”
Looking at me with his eye brow up, and a smirk on his face.
“A cold shower Blane. To wake me up.”
Laughing, “Okay, you asked for it.”
Helping me walk into the bathroom, I was still in my outfit from earlier. Reaching across me with one hand, he flipped on the shower head.
“I don’t know what to do here now Carma.” Looking down at my clothes.
Lifting my shirt off, I kept my bra on with the rest of my clothes and stepped under, screeching when the water hit my body. I could feel his eyes staring through me for a brief moment before snapping out of it, holding my arm again.
“Just don’t fall.”
“It’s so cold.” Saying in between chattering teeth.
“Yeah that’s the general idea.” Studying me again, “Why did you do it? I could have taken him out. You would have never even been hurt.”
“I didn’t see it that way.” Staring back at him, letting the ice cold water blast me back into reality.
“Oh, come on Carma.”
“Fine. I didn’t want you and Gabriel to get hurt because of me. I thought maybe if I got loose from him that it would help.”
“Help?” Looking at me with a skeptical stare.
“I don’t know Blane. I didn’t really think about it I guess. I just did what I thought was right.”
“Who’s protecting who here?” Not waiting for an answer, he flipped off the shower. “Don’t do it again.”
Throwing a towel at me he walked out of the bathroom, leaving me standing there shivering.
Stumbling out behind him, “What’s your problem Blane?” He was now sitting at his desk, his back to me. Broad shoulders hunched over his desk, he could look bad ass no matter what he was doing.
“You Carma. Do you realize how close you came to being killed today?”
Sending the chair flying across the room. In two steps he was across the room and in my face again. It was hard to be intimidating on my best day to this angel. I hardly pulled off a convincing argument in the condition I was in at the moment.
“I won’t have you risk your life daily for me Blane.”
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m a little harder to kill than you are. I have dealt with demons for centuries.”
“Centuries? Wait, I thought you said you were around a couple hundred years old?”
“No. I said I’ve been earth bound for a couple hundred years. I am much older than that.”
Feeling like someone had walloped me a good one in the stomach.
“You’re getting off subject. Don’t do it again.” He scolded me.
“Oh what’s your problem? Not used to a female refusing to take orders from you…you brute.” Getting right up in his face, my whole body shivering.
Grabbing my arm he tugged me into his body, smiling down at me, “You haven’t begun to see the animal in me angel girl. I promise you, you don’t want to.”
“Is that a threat? And I quit being a little girl long ago.” I shout back at him, holding my chin up high.
Sneering at me, “Why are you so defiant?”
“Why are you such a stick in the mud?” Yeah that was the best I could think of. I hated confrontations. Unfortunately, my life had become nothing but lately.
This just turned into a stare off, which unfortunately I lost because my shivering was getting the better of me. Turning I walked over to the wall and sat down on the floor so I wouldn’t get anything wet. He just stood, unmoving staring at me. I then chose to stare at the floor instead. I was done fighting tonight. It was exhausting and my day had already sucked pretty hard.
“You don’t have to sit on the floor.”
“I don’t want to ruin anything, it’s best I stay cold right now so I don’t fall asleep.” Nodding his head he retrieved his chair and sat back down at his desk.
An hour passed of me staring at the back of his head and the cold was more than I could take. Getting up and walking to the closet, I found some pink flannel pants and a pink tank. Pulling a sweatshirt out from the bottom of the stack I turned to go to the bathroom.
“Do you think it’s alright to warm up now? I can’t take much more.” I hated being cold. I really hated being so cold that even your bones felt like they were cold.
This time when he looked at me, it was no longer in anger. He looked sympathetic instead. Concentrating on me really hard the clothes disappeared from my hands and replaced my wet jeans and bra in an instant. I really loved that trick. “Thank you.”
Nodding, “I can’t help you with your wet hair.”
“It’s fine.” Appearing in front of me on the desk was a hot coffee. Blane pushing it towards me.
“Drink. It’ll warm you up.”
“Thank you.” My teeth still chattering, I let the hot liquid slide down my throat starting the process of defrosting me.
“I would give it another hour before you go to sleep. Then you should be alright.”
Nodding I made my way to the bed and sat down, staring at his back again. “Why didn’t you tell the
other angels about my other ability?”
“They didn’t need to know.”
Nodding, I hid my smile behind my coffee cup just in case he looked back. This man, this angel was determined to protect me from literally everyone. “I shouldn’t have gotten in the way today.” That was as good of an apology I could muster.
Twisting his chair around to look at me, “I shouldn’t have failed you today. It won’t happen again.” Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he looked tired.
“Failed me? What are you talking about? You saved my life.”
“They shouldn’t have gotten that close to you. It won’t happen again.”
“Blane you ever stop to think that maybe you can’t protect me? I mean how many assignments have you had specifically like mine? With my abilities?”
Staring at me, “Zero.”
“Blane, I don’t want to die.” Shaking my head, “But, I don’t want anyone else to die in my place either.” Fighting back the tears, I refused to cry in front of him again.
Standing up he made his way over to me, standing in front of me looking down into my face.
“I have never had any assignments like you. That is the truth. But, there has never been another I wanted to keep alive more.”
Did this man just tell me that he cared about me? Or was I one of those impossible assignments that his ego had to win? I was afraid to ask, afraid to know the answer. If it was the second option, I know it would hurt. I couldn’t take much more hurt, not right now. Obviously, I cared for him. I knew I was falling hard, knowing it could never be was making it that much more bitter. How could any woman not fall for him? Tough, gorgeous, with a perfectly chiseled body. He is caring with a mix of an attitude problem. Mysterious, guarded and quite frankly I couldn’t imagine a better kisser. Made me wonder what else he was capable of. My body warming a little hotter when my mind wondered to those thoughts. He was so close, almost touching me. I would only have to reach up and pull him down to my lips. Then what? Make an already complicated situation worse?
Bringing his hand to my cheek, “Lay down Carma.”
Leaning back into the covers, “Don’t you need sleep yet? It’s been days.”
Smiling reassuringly, “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.”
Dimmest Of Night (Dimmest Of Night Series) Page 11
